#1
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Takamine Preamp Help (Adding 2nd Source)
Hi Friends!
I know there are some long-time Takamine players on here and I'm hoping someone can help me out. I'm playing my first ever Takamine, a P4DC with the CTP-3 CoolTube preamp. Just for fun and because Takamine makes it so easy, I added a Takamine Tri-Ax2 magnetic sound-hole pickup as a 2nd source. I've looked through the instructions for both the CTP-3 and the Tri-Ax and I'm pretty sure I installed it correctly. I have the Tri-Ax2 switched to passive and I used the included short cable to connect the Tri-Ax2 to the Aux Pickup Input on the back of the CTP-3. The problem is that the Aux Pickup slider on my CTP-3 doesn't seem to do anything to the level of the Tri-Ax2. It seems to just turn the Tri-Ax2 on or off, so to speak. What I mean is that the level of the Tri-Ax2 is being determined by the position of the Aux Gain Control on the back of the preamp and if I have the slider off, there is no Tri-Ax2 and if I bring the slider up it introduces the Tri-Ax2 into the mix but only at the one level determined by the Aux Gain Control. So raising or lowering the slider does nothing to the level of the Tri-Ax2. I reached out to the place where I bought the Tri-Ax. He said he's never heard of this happening before but he's going to do some checking for me. In the meantime I thought I'd post here and see if anyone can offer any advice. I suppose there could be something wrong with the preamp or I've screwed something up in the installation/set-up. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! Matt |
#2
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Havent had a Cool Tube with triax in a few years... remove the preamp from the tray, I think there is a switch or toggle button of some sort on the bottom pf pre? Think it was called jack switch override. Not sure this will help
https://busites-www.s3.amazonaws.com...P-3_Manual.pdf |
#3
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Quote:
I pulled out the preamp and there are two switches but they are just EQ switches for the Aux Pickup. It is interesting though. The instructions for the Tri-Ax say, "Be sure to have the Aux Gain switch on the CoolTube preamp is in the HIGH position when using the Tri-Ax with the CoolTube." The instructions you linked are the same that came with the guitar. I don't see anything on the preamp that is an Aux Gain switch like they mention in the Tri-Ax instructions. There is an Aux Gain Control knob. Maybe I'll see if I can reach someone at Takamine and get to the bottom of this! Thanks again! Matt |
#4
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I'm not sure if anyone else cares about this but I like to always try to update threads like this just in case someone has the same trouble/issue down the road.
I spoke to the fellow who sold me the Tri-Ax2. It's Jerry at Pacific Guitar Sales. He has been very quick to respond and super helpful! I wish I had known about him before I bought the Takamine! He put a Tri-Ax2 into a guitar he has and tried it out. He thinks that perhaps I'm running my overall volume level on the CTP-3 preamp too low. He said I should have it close to 100%. I can't do that. I use that main volume to adjust from the flat pick to bare fingers. But he said that having the main volume level higher might allow me to hear more variation in the adjustment of the Aux Pickup slider. I tried it just for fun and I don't know! If I'm hearing any variation in the level of the Tri-Ax2 it is so subtle. Jerry did say that it was subtle in the guitar he was trying but if I was hearing any variation in the level of the Tri-Ax2 it was pretty much unnoticeable. Like maybe it was only there because I think it was supposed to be there! Either there is something wrong with the slider on my CTP-3 or it's just not supposed to do much (if anything) to the level of the Aux Pickup. So I've settled on lowering the Aux Pickup Gain Control down to the minimum and that allows me to just get a hint of the Tri-Ax2. It's enough to add some nice body and another dimension to the tone without ending up with any low end trouble. It's nice but I'm not sure it's worth the cost of the Tri-Ax. Matt |
#5
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My recollection is that the Triax was very responsive and robust. Beefy enough gain wise, particularly the low end.
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#6
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Quote:
When I said I'm not sure it was worth the cost of the Tri-Ax I guess what I meant is that although I do really like what it adds to the tone, the almost $300 price tag seems like a lot given that I am not able to blend in more or less of the Tri-Ax2 using the slider like I thought I would be able to do. Overall, I'm glad that I have it and I will continue to keep it in the guitar and use it. And I do really like the fact that if something went wrong with the palathetic pickup in the Tak, I could grab that longer cable and the Tri-Ax would serve as a great back-up pickup should the need arise. Matt |
#7
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Thanks for this Matt. I've got a TAN15C that I've considered adding the Triax. But it sounds so good right now I wondered if it would be an improvement. I always appreciate your insights.
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#8
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Great to hear from you! Here is something I hadn't thought about before: if you made me choose between the Tri-Ax2 and some kind of pedal, (or other piece of outboard gear) I would choose the Tri-Ax2 every time! And I mean that in the context of a Takamine where adding a second source is so easy. I read all these different threads about all these different pedals. And of course I've been there and done that, over and over again! There aren't many on the acoustic market that I haven't tried, some of them more than once! They are fun to play with at home but when it comes to gigging, I'm quite glad to not have to lug extra stuff, fool with more cables, batteries, etc. Again, what the Tri-Ax2 adds to the already good sounding Takamine pickup is subtle but if someone feels like they want/need to sweeten the sound of a Takamine, I would certainly recommend going with the Tri-Ax2 vs. any external piece of gear. It does add something and Takamine makes it so easy to do so. I guess I'm changing my tune as to whether or not the Tri-Ax2 is worth it! I'm not saying I "need" it but again, I'm glad I have it and I would certainly take the Tri-Ax2 over any other method I could think of to enhance the sound of my Takamine. Matt |
#9
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Thanks Matt! I hope life has continued to bring you all the good stuff.
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